Somebody Waits for You
by Shinju90
Summary: At a bar on Christmas Tony learns something about Tim that surprises him. McNozzo 2010 SeSa gift for Shelbylou.


**Title**: Somebody Waits for You

**Characters**: Tim and Tony.

**Genre**: Romance, Slash.

**Rating**: FR16

**Pairings**: McNozzo

**Spoilers**: Season nine. No season 10 spoilers.

**Disclaimer**: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

**Summary**: At a bar on Christmas Tony learns something about Tim that surprises him.

* * *

_**December 25, 2011 – 9:45 PM**_

The bar was busier than Tony had anticipated it would be on a holiday. He barely cracked the door as he slipped inside, but a freezing chill managed to blow in regardless. The patrons closest to the door glared furiously over their drinks and he slammed the door quickly behind him. There were several mats added to the front entrance and he stomped vigorously on them, dislodging the snow as he striped off his coat. Eyes sweeping across the bar Tony couldn't resist the grin that spread across his face. Even lovely ladies get lonely on Christmas it seemed. He paused, brow furrowed, as he caught sight of a familiar figure seated at the bar.

The other man didn't look up as Tony sat down on the stool beside him. 'What is Tim doing here?' Tony wondered. This bar wasn't anywhere near his apartment. In fact, it was closer to Tony's apartment than anything else that could have drawn Tim towards this area of town. He remembers the two of them would come here during the summer when Ziva was missing, on those days when it seemed like they might never find her.

Tim's fingers are curled loosely around the base of a half emptied bottle. His green eyes blankly taking in the wood grain of the bar while his mind was no doubt somewhere far away. Tony waved, just enough to catch the bartenders attention. She nodded to him in acknowledgment while putting the finishing touches on a customers drink. Tony watched, giving the woman a quick up and down glance. She was brunette with a pixie cut and a cute round face. Not usually Tony's type but after a look sent his way, a quick up and down of her own followed by an impish grin. He would probable have made an exception.

"I'll just have a beer thanks. Whatever my buddy here has got."

Tim jumped as Tony clapped a hand heavily on his shoulder. His eyes narrowed with confusion.

"Tony, what are you doing here? I thought you were going to Wendy's."

He shook his head, giving the bartender a brilliant smile as he handed him his beer.

"Naw, I celebrated with Gibbs at Layla's house. She cooked, Amira opened presents."

Tim glanced at his watch.

"It's not even ten yet Tony. Wasn't Gibbs going to stay later?"

"Yeah, I think Boss is still there. Layla put Amira to bed and us adults got settled down in the living room. It was nice, cozy."

"So why did you leave?"

Tony shrugged.

"You know me McTim, not really the nice and cozy type." Again he eyed his partner. Tim's posture had straightened dramatically, but there was still something about him that screamed dejection. Tony had seen kicked puppies with more pep. "But enough about me. What are you doing here? Don't you and Sarah celebrate the 'McGee Family Christmas' together every year?"

Tim averted his eyes, a self-depreciating smile on his face.

"Yeah, usually. This year she and a few friends from Waverly went skiing."

Nodding Tony took a sympathetic swig of his beer.

"Don't your parents live in Annapolis? Why didn't you drive up to spend the holiday with them? You and your dad are working things out aren't you?"

For a moment Tim's shoulders stiffened, then he shrugged.

"Talking over the phone and talking face to face are completely different things. If we make each other angry over the phone we can keep it under control. If I went home we could end up fighting again and send everything back to square one." Again Tim shrugged. "I figure it's best to give it a little more time before we take that step."

With a heavy sigh Tim finished off the rest of his bottle and signaled the bartender for another. Tony took another sip as he watched his partner. He knew all too well how that went. He didn't know the Admiral, but if his reunion with Senior was anything to go by it was better for the McGee men to get their issues worked out well before they talked in person.

"So you decided that instead of staying at home, lonely with a bottle of wine and the internet, you'd rather be lonely and drunk at a bar?"

Tim cocked an eyebrow, raising his empty bottle.

"I've had one beer Tony. I'm hardly drunk."

Tony laughed, leaning across the bar to catch the bartenders attention.

"No one comes to a bar lonely and doesn't intend to get at least a little buzzed. Hey, cancel his beer, two bourbon's please!"

Glaring Tim tried to change the order again, but the woman had already started pouring.

"Damn it Tony! I don't want to get drunk. I don't even like bourbon."

Tony stared, mouth dropping open with mock horror.

"How can you haven been on Gibbs' team for eight years without liking bourbon? What do you do with the Boss' Christmas presents? Do you have eight bottles of bourbon just sitting around?"

Tim's face flushed slightly, his eyes darting back to his empty bottle. The bartender flashed Tony another coy smile as she sat the two tumbler's in front of him. But this time he ignored her, staring incredulously at his partner.

"You do don't you! That's top shelf stuff McGee, he doesn't buy the paint thinner for presents."

Tim sighed, reaching out to grab his glass.

"Yeah, I know. I'm just not a fan of hard liquor."

Tony shook his head grabbing his own glass and taking a quick sip.

"Well we need to remedy that right away. I can't imagine how hurt the Boss' feelings will be if he ever found out that you haven't been enjoying his Christmas presents."

Defeated Tim took a tentative sip, grimacing at the taste.

"Ugh, it's horrible!"

Tony grinned.

"Yeah, you'll get used to it."

Two hours and several drinks later both men were leaning, much more relaxed, against the bar. Tony smiled, waving to a group of women sitting at the booth in the corner. Tim followed his gaze then chuckled and went back to tracing shapes in the water rings on the bar. Tony frowned, swiveling on his stool to look at his friend.

"So if you really weren't here to drown your loneliness in alcohol, what were you doing?" Tim's eyes didn't lift from the bar. Eyebrows rising Tony's face split with a wide grin. "Oh! I see, I get it. You were gonna drown your loneliness another way! You were gonna take someone home with you weren't you! Did I throw you off your game? It's alright, Tony can fix it. Did you have someone you were thinking about?"

Tim's face was doing a remarkable expression of a beetroot, from embarrassment as well as the alcohol.

"No! That isn't what I was here for."

Tony laughed, poking Tim joyfully in the shoulder.

"Yes you were! You were going to take someone home with you. Oh I am so proud of you Timmy!"

Tim's hand tightened around his glass, knuckles whitening. Keeping his face angled away he studiously avoided Tony's eyes.

"No, no I wasn't. I thought about it at first, but I'm not that kind of guy. I don't take home strangers that I meet in bars."

Tony nodded, waving a hand dismissively.

"Fine, fine. We'll rent you a hotel room. Now who do you like? We'll send her a drink. Don't worry, I'll be your wingman."

Tim's shoulders tightened as he hunched further over the bar.

"No Tony. I'm not going to rent a hotel room, I'm not going to send some random women a drink. I don't do that, I'm not that kind of guy."

Tony smiled, slapping Tim heartily on the back.

"Don't worry McNervous, I'll make sure you don't put your foot in your mouth."

"Tony stop it!" Tim's exclamation was loud, drawing the attention of several other patrons. Though it had seemed impossible the younger man's face flushed even more, even his ears were red Tony noticed. Tim dropped his head into his hands, elbows propped on the edge of the bar. "No Tony, it's not that I might say something stupid. I just...I don't sleep with someone if I don't feel something for them. I don't do one night stands."

Tony sat back, giving his friend some room to calm down and breath.

"There's nothing wrong with it you know, so long as you're both having fun. That's all it is. Having fun with someone for a little while."

The bartender replaced their drinks and Tim took a quick swallow, no longer noticing the taste.

"I never said it was wrong. It's just not something that I do. Besides..." He cut himself off, turning to watch a television on the far side of the room. Tony leaned close, nudging him with his shoulder.

"Besides?"

Tim sighed, resigned.

"Besides, there's someone that I have feelings for."

Tony smiled, patting Tim on the back.

"Congratulations buddy! What are you doing here then? You should be spending Christmas with her!"

Tim buried his head back into his hands, groaning loudly.

"No, Tony, no. I can't do that. I haven't ever said anything about it."

"Why not? I mean, the worst she could do is reject you. And you're a great guy, why would she said no?"

Sighing Tim peaked out from behind his fingers. His eyes darted between Tony's face, the bar and the television.

"So much more could go wrong. We're friends, really good friends. They've never shown any kind of interest in me. If I say something, make some move, I could destroy our friendship. I'm happy with the way things are now. I don't want to risk ruining things."

Tony sat back on his stool, balancing carefully, and thought. If this woman was a good friend of Tim's it was likely that he knew her too. Sure Tim had friends outside of NCIS, but they mostly kept in contact over the internet. He didn't get to see them often. It sounded like Tim spent a great deal of time with this woman. So that meant that she probably worked closely with them.

The first option to pop into his mind was Ziva. Since they were both members of the MCRT they spent the most time together. He knew that Tim considered Ziva to be a very close friend. She was a definite possibility. The only other woman who he worked closely with was...

Abby.

Abby, who Tim had supposedly gotten a tattoo for. Who he'd been over the moon about. It had to be her! Sure some of the things Tim had said didn't fit with this scenario. But Tim was a smart guy, he probably had just thrown in a red herring to keep Tony from figuring out who he was talking about. Also, Abby had left him before. It made perfect sense that he would be cautious about approaching another relationship with her, no matter how he felt. But Tony was almost positive that Abby still had the embers of a torch burning for her geek.

They just needed a match to light them up.

"I think you should go for it. Just grab her the next time you see her and lay one on her! Let her know that she's the only one for you. Women love that!"

Tim shook his head.

"No, no I don't think that would end well for me."

Maybe it was Ziva after all.

Tony gripped his friends shoulders tightly, turning him until he was looking Tim square in the face.

"You'll never know until you put yourself out there. Sure, you're good where you are for now. But if you keep waiting you might loose her for good. How would you feel if you blew your second chance?"

Tim's eyebrows furrowed, frowning slightly as he replied.

"Second chance? Tony what," he paused and realization dawned on his face, then the self-depreciating grin was back. "You think you know who it is don't you?

"Well yeah, it's kind of obvious isn't it?"

Tim chuckled, shaking his head slightly.

"Obviously not. I guarantee you, whoever you think it is. It isn't." Tim turned the tumbler in his hands. "But you're right. It's been getting harder, to just be friends. To not tell them how much I love them, how I want to do anything, _anything_ to make them happy." He finally looked up, meeting Tony's eyes. "Even if they never know how I feel."

Tony frowned.

"But how do you know they don't want you just as much as you what them? Maybe she's worrying about the exact same things you're worrying about. Maybe she likes you but will never realize it if you don't take the first step. If she's really your friend then she'll still be your friend no matter what happens."

Tim blinked.

"You really mean that?"

Tony nodded. No matter how much Tim denied it he was certain that it was Abby that Tim cared about. Though a little nagging bit of his brain was still convinced that it could be Ziva.

"Sure, if she isn't still your friend she wasn't good enough for you in the first place."

Tim grinned, looking down at the bar as he twisted the tumbler between his hands. His thoughts were racing, clearly displayed across his face. Tony saw the moment he reached his decision and barely resisted the urge to crow with triumph. He recognized that determined look on his partner's face. That stubborn set to his jaw, that glint in his eyes. Abby was about to become a very lucky lady. He hoped she knew that she owed him for his!

Tim sat up, posture straight and confident. Turning towards Tony he stood, pulling out his wallet and tossing a few bills onto the bar. He took a deep breath, gathering his courage and resolve, before finally meeting Tony's eyes.

"I really hope that this doesn't ruin things. I don't want to loose our friendship."

Tony's brain paused. What? He turned slightly, to question, and was shocked as Tim met him halfway. The other man leaned in quickly. For a brief moment their lips brushed together, soft and full and slightly chapped. Tony blinked and the moment was over. Tim stepped away, swaying slightly with a sad smile. He whispered a quick 'Merry Christmas' before he was out the door, pulling on his coat as be made his way into the snow.

Tony sat in the same position, frozen. Huh, well. That had certainly not been what he'd expected. Not what he'd been expecting at all! The bartender stepped back into his sight, giving him a soft knowing look. Finally he shook himself out of his daze and ordered himself another drink.

**_December 25, 2012 – 10:30 PM_**

Tony swept inside quickly, slush dripping from his pant legs and shoes as he wiped his feet on the black mats spread across the threshold. His eyes searched the bar for a familiar face. Already he had checked the other man's apartment. Had put in calls to friends and family. No one knew if he had plans, where he had intended to spend the holiday. This bar was one of the last leads he had. If he didn't find Tim here Tony was going to drag Abby back to NCIS and have his cellphone traced.

But there was no need.

Tony felt a sense of deja vu as he spotted the figure sitting alone at the bar. Like the year before his mind was clearly elsewhere, eyes distant as his hands played with an almost empty bottle. Tony approached slowly, not wanting to startle his prey. After the hangover he had woken from last year Tim had sworn to never drink with his partner again. That and apparently he couldn't remember anything that had occurred after his fourth drink.

Shoulders slumped Tim had his elbows propped up on the bar, his head turned towards the television he wasn't watching. Tony's eyes drank in the details of his face. Pale green eyes distant and tired. Full lips drawn into a tight line. Two pale scars had been added since last year, one across his temple and another on his chin. Both courtesy of windows shattered in Dearings' explosion.

"Hey McMelancholy, you're a hard man to find these days."

Tim didn't jump, just sighed heavily as he turned to raise an eyebrow at his friend.

"Sarah called, said that you were looking for me."

Tony grinned.

"Breaking rule three Timmy. What if I was the Boss? What would you do then."

Tim looked at his phone, quickly pulling up his missed call list. Holding it up he pointed to the last three calls.

"See that? That's your number Tony. If it had been Gibbs' number I probably would have answered."

"Oh I see. What if he'd been calling you from my phone huh? Also, whats with the avoidance? Clearly I needed to talk to you about something important."

Tim laughed.

"The last time you called me so often was because you were sitting alone at a bar waiting for me to introduce you to an old friend. I didn't think it would be that important."

Scoffing slightly Tony waved down the bartender. A man this time.

"Maybe I was dying in a ditch somewhere. Did you ever think of that?"

"Tony, if you were dying in a ditch somewhere I'd hope that you'd have the common sense to call for an ambulance instead of calling me."

The bartender popped the cap and slid Tony a beer.

"You didn't answer my question. What have you been avoiding me for?"

Sighing Tim finished off his drink and set the bottle aside.

"Tony, I don't know what it was that I did last Christmas but ever since you've been...odd around me. It's gotten better since I got out of the hospital but I can still catch you sometimes. You look at me funny. Why wouldn't I want to avoid that?"

Tony groaned mentally, quickly chugging down the majority of his drink. He dropped the bottle heavily onto the bar and pushed it away. Standing he jerked a thumb over his shoulder towards the door.

"Let's go McGee, I've got something I want to show you."

Tim's eyes narrowed.

"What?"

"I've got a Christmas present for you."

"You already gave me my Christmas present. A collection of sci-fi classics remember?"

Not allowing any discussion of the matter Tony stepped up behind Tim, pushing him off the bar stool and towards the door.

"Well, you've got another one waiting so lets get going."

Tim protested initially but gave in when Tony tried forcing him into his coat. With an unhappy glare he pulled away, quickly shrugging into the coat himself as he followed Tony towards his car. The ride was quiet. Tim was clearly nervous; fidgeting in his seat and occasionally opening his mouth to say something, only to change his mind and stare silently out the window. The nervous tension only amplified when Tony pulled into the parking lot of his apartment complex. Tim's jaw was clenched, every muscle in his body tight with anxiety.

It was only after they were inside with the door tightly locked that the silence was broken. Tim looked around the apartment quickly, eyes searching for a wrapped present and finding none.

"Alright Tony. Where's this present? I do have plans of my own you know."

"Plans to sit alone in a bar and wonder what you did there last year? Those are your plans? Why don't you just ask?"

Shaking his head Tim turned away, pacing a few steps towards the kitchen. He stopped, taking several deep breaths to calm himself before responding.

"Maybe I really don't want to know what I did. Maybe I just want it to have never happened. Maybe I just want things to go back to the way they were."

Tony laughed.

"Can't do that. Believe me I tried. Didn't work."

Flinching, Tim curled his shoulders as if he expected Tony to take a swing at him.

"I mean, it was a shocker! I was terrified, didn't know what to do. Then EJ came back and Wendy showed up. I was confused, thinking about you and the past. All the things I've done wrong. I didn't want to mess things up again but it looks like I did anyway. Didn't want to be a hypocrite but I didn't manage that either." Tony flopped bonelessly onto the couch, draping an arm across his eyes dramatically. "I just needed to think things through and I avoided seriously thinking about it for a long time."

Tim turned, eyes suspicious. But from under his arm Tony thought that he could also see a tiny glimmer of hope.

"I mean, one night you tell me that you love me and the next you're oh so calmly pointing out that I've got my ex-fiancee's lipstick smeared on my face. It seemed like mixed signals to me. For a long time I had myself half convinced that it was just the alcohol talking. That you were just extra lonely that night."

Taking a step towards him Tim reached out. He opened his mouth but said nothing as Tony removed his arm and sat up straight.

"But then I remembered that old saying, 'if you love someone you let them go.' How you said that you would do anything to make the person you loved happy. Just because you thought I would be happier with Wendy didn't mean that you hadn't meant what you'd said at the bar. It was proof that you really did. It took me awhile to wrap my head around that...and it scared me more than anything."

Tony stood and approached Tim slowly.

"I have no idea how you can feel that way towards me. It doesn't seem like I've given you any reason too, after all the pranks and jokes I've pulled on you over the years." Tim blushed, taking a step back and averting his eyes. Tony took another step forward and grabbed him lightly by the arm before he could get far.

"Then I remembered Allison Hayworth. She was a girl I went to school with before Senior remarried and shipped me off to boarding school. She had these big, thick glasses. I made fun of those glasses all the time. But when I came back home on holiday I ran into her again and saw that she'd gotten a new pair of glasses. I realized that I missed the old thick pair. She looked really cute in those old glasses. And then it hit me. I picked on Allison Hayworth because I thought she was cute and I knew that if I wasn't making fun of her, she would have never looked twice at me."

Eyes widening Tim met Tony's eyes for the first time since they had entered the apartment. Tony could see that little glimmer of hope quickly spark into a fire.

"You're a lot like Allison Hayworth Tim. Smart, straitlaced. If we didn't work together you'd never give me a second glance."

Finally Tim gave a quiet laugh and a small smile.

"Anyone who says they wouldn't give you a second glance is either an idiot or a liar."

The two smiled for a moment, finally relaxing in each others presence for the first time in almost a year.

"I didn't know what to do about it though. I mean, I went to boarding school but I'd never so much as even thought about a guy that way before. The knowledge that I'd been flirting with a guy for nearly nine years was enough to turn me on my head. I couldn't wrap my head around it for a long time. But then..."

Raising a hand Tony traced the stark white scar that trailed up Tim's chin towards his lip. He could feel the other man's breath hitch at the contact.

"But then Dearing blew everything up and I was stuck in an elevator with Ziva and a concussion and the one thing I kept asking her was if you had gotten out of the building. If she thought you were okay. I couldn't think clearly enough to worry about us in the elevator. The only thing I was worried about was you." Tony stepped forward until he could feel the heat radiating from Tim's body. His hand dropped to the other mans chest, where he knew another, larger scar was hidden beneath the fabric.

"Then I find out that you're in the hospital, stuck full of glass and I don't think I've ever wanted to kill someone so much since Ari. I was so happy when Abby told me you were going to be okay. I realized that I had a second chance. That I shouldn't waste it with confusion and just go for it."

"So, why didn't you?"

Tony laughed, wrapping a hand around Tim's hip and pulling him close.

"What do you think I'm doing right now?"

Tim's breath hitched again as his eyes darted down to Tony's smiling lips. Shaking hands rose, landing on firm biceps.

"You said something about a present?"

Tony nodded, leaning close enough that their lips were barely centimeters apart.

"Look up."

Leaning back slightly Tim raised his eyes. Hanging from the ceiling above them was a sprig of mistletoe. Smiling he looked back to Tony.

"I think that might be the best present someone has ever given me."

"The mistletoe isn't the present Tim. This is the present."

Tony bridged the gap, finally bringing their lips together. It was warm and soft, much like that first time, exactly a year ago. He could taste that Tim had taken to wearing cherry chap stick. After a moment his hands tightened on Tim's hips, pulling them tighter against each other. Both men groaned at the heat and friction as their bodies molded together. Tony pulled back just enough for them both to take in a few gasps of air.

"Merry Christmas Tim."


End file.
